Tummy Tuck Surgery in Ann Arbor, Michigan

If you’re one of those unlucky people who have tried diet and exercise, but just can’t get rid of your stubborn love handles, excess skin, or belly bulge, abdominoplasty, also known as tummy tuck surgery, can help. In Michigan, Plastic Surgeon Dr. Pramit Malhotra offers tummy tuck surgery to help his patients restore their abdominal contours, remove excess skin in their midsection, and/or tighten their abdominal muscles to create a more toned appearance.

Benefits of Tummy Tuck Surgery

A tummy tuck, technically called abdominoplasty, in our Michigan practice may significantly increase your self-image and self-confidence. Common benefits of this procedure include the following:

Insider Tips for Tummy Tuck Surgery

For women and men considering a tummy tuck surgery, see these insider tips from Michigan plastic surgeon Dr. Pramit Malhotra:

The edges of the incision are often full after a standard tummy tuck, so talk to your surgeon about liposuction to prevent these areas from protruding after surgery.

Ask your surgeon to discuss how low your incision will be. If you want to wear low-rise jeans or swimwear, this can be very important.

Look closely at the surgeon’s before and after pictures. The belly-button incision should be hidden inside, but often is not.

Ask your surgeon how he or she prevents blood clots from forming in your legs during and following surgery.

Discuss a “Mommy Makeover” with your surgeon. The combination of a breast augmentation or breast lift with a tummy tuck can have a multiplier effect in restoring your pre-pregnancy figure and giving you a beautiful hourglass shape.

Best Candidates for Tummy Tuck Surgery in Michigan

Abdominoplasty surgery may be an option for women and men who have tried dieting and exercise but still cannot get rid of the fat around the abdomen. It is important that patients have realistic goals and expectations for this procedure.

General Procedure

The standard procedure for tummy tuck surgery at our Michigan practice commonly begins with an incision just above the pubic bone area. This incision should be as low as possible across the lower abdomen. The skin is then stretched and pulled down, and excess skin is removed. If the abdominal muscles have spread apart, they are sutured together and tightened to re-align the muscles.

Dr. Malhotra specializes in lateral tension abdominoplasty, which improves upon the traditional tummy tuck in the following ways:

Shapes the waist by bringing the extra skin down and in to accentuate the waistline

Builds a new belly button with parachute sutures to hide this scar inside the umbilicus

Minimizes the length of your incision by adding liposuction on the edges of the skin

Places the incision as low as possible so all types of jeans and bathing suits can be worn

Mini Tummy Tuck for Michigan

Not everyone needs a full abdominoplasty to have a flat abdomen. For these patients, a mini tummy tuck surgery is ideal. In our Michigan practice, many patients have excess skin and some muscle looseness, but only below their belly button. These patients are often very fit and of normal weight, but they cannot lose that stubborn bulge in the lower part of their abdomen. Typically that bulge does not decrease with exercise or dieting because of a permanent stretch in the abdominal muscles, which can only be restored surgically. A mini tummy tuck surgery offers Michigan patients these benefits:

Smaller and lower incision

Leaves the belly button intact

Allows for muscle tightening below the umbilicus

Recovery Process

For a full tummy tuck surgery, Michigan patients should plan to take 10 to 14 days off of work. Mini tummy tuck patients can take less time off.